After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

I'm filled with admiration for Robert Aldrich—and Lukas Heller, who co-wrote the script—that he was able to craft such a delicately balanced film. I've never seen a war film with the same unique tone as Too Late the Hero.The film starts with music from Gerald Fried that doesn't reveal anything about the plot; the audience doesn't yet know if they're in for a comedy, drama, or sarcastic commentary. The visual is equally as startling: on an island in the South Pacific, soldiers are literally laying out on the beach working on their tans. A very bronze Cliff Robertson is summoned to his superior, Henry Fonda, and given a new assignment, which he promptly refuses. He clearly has a callous attitude about his part in the war, for he'd rather take his shore leave than accept his transfer to the Philippines. Henry Fonda delivers a very impassioned speech about seeing the bigger picture, and he sends Cliff to the jungle.Cliff's apathetic attitude is met with a host of different personalities as he joins his British allies in his new post. Michael Caine is not optimistic that he'll make it out alive and oftentimes considers deserting, Denholm Elliott is extremely gung-ho about the war effort, Ian Bannen is a loose cannon and could be interpreted as not entirely well, and Percy Herbert isn't particularly loyal. Their assignment is to enter the Japanese-occupied jungle, destroy the enemy's radio, and return to the safe area.It's an extremely dangerous mission, but when they first set off, as Cliff gets to know his fellow soldiers, the tone still balances the extremely fine line of not taking the war seriously and not making the situation comical. As they venture further into the jungle and start fighting the enemy, the tone of the film grows darker. Every section of the film changes the tone, from careless to ominous to hopeless to realistic, and every section is properly motivated by an excellent script and constant obstacles.War films aren't for everyone, and more often than not—just as in every genre—they're not very good. The good ones are worth watching, and Too Late the Hero is excellent. Michael Caine fans are in for a treat, since he's not only dreamy, blond, and in uniform, but also gives a very good performance. And if there's anyone out there who thinks of Cliff Robertson as Spiderman's uncle, they should rent this film to see him in his younger days. Watching this movie is an experience. You'll run through so many emotions that you'll be depleted by the time Ken Takakura shows up, even with so much more of the film to watch. At that point, it'll be hard to believe the film can and does get more suspenseful, and finally, when the ending has stripped you of all your energy, you'll feel utterly exhausted. But then you'll probably tell your friends to go see it.

Robert Aldrich, who had done a fine job with other WWII films "The Flight Of The Phoenix" & "The Dirty Dozen" returns to the period with another success, the story of a American Soldier(played by Cliff Robertson) who is reluctantly transferred from a secure base, to a British unit, where they are sent to a Pacific Japanese held island, occupied by both allied and imperial forces. Their mission is to go into enemy territory to destroy a Japanese Radio outpost, but Robertson proves to be a most reluctant hero, much to the consternation of his unit, led by Michael Caine(fine performance once again) among other cast members including Ian Bannen & Harry Andrews.Nicely realized film creates an authentic period feel, especially the claustrophobic danger from the jungle, where enemy soldiers lurk. Builds to a memorable and fitting end, where the surviving men find redemption and escape, in this well done war story.

Too late the hero is one of the most boring movies that I've ever seen,well its not that bad,the action was good,the acting is decent and the battles are good.For a start,half way throughout the movie some things can just drive you insane and I'm not going to talk about that.It's about an American lieutenant who leads a platoon of British soldiers into a jungle somewhere in the Pacific to destroy a Japanese radio station.At that time a Japanese Major captured two men and are threatening the rest of the survivors to surrender or else he will kill them.As a lot of WWII movies are found interesting I found absolutely nothing interesting at all.The atmosphere for this movie is good and the effects are crap.This movie is nothing but sheer disappointment nd nothing can change that(yes,even a remake).The blood wounds are cheesy for a movie that was made in 1969.I don't know what the deal was on making this movie,it was probably seen as spectacular for its time.I was going to give it a 5 at the start but the boring parts made me give it a 4 instead.Mostly if you see a war movie you are expecting to see a lot of action but this is a war movie that should be avoided because there is barely any action in this movie.War movie fans will be disappointed with this heap of junk.

As one who could speak Japanese, Cliff Robertson thought that he could ride out World War 11 sunning himself on a beach. His sunning ends when he is called to go on a dangerous mission to the New Hebrides. There he will encounter danger that he never imagined along with a British crew at each other's throat.The goal was to knock out a Japanese transmitter. This is done but the rest of the film becomes a cat and mouse game as Robertson and Michael Caine try to make it back to their base. The cat and mouse game is played with a Japanese official who speaks to them via a loudspeaker urging them to give up. The exciting ending is one that is rather routine though very difficult.The real acting kudos go to Denholm Elliot in a supporting role as one of the British lead soldiers.Interesting but rather routine warfare.